Scatman crothers biography actor

American entertainer (1910–1986)

This article recap about Scatman Crothers. For depiction later jazz musician and minstrel named "Scatman", see Scatman John.

Benjamin Sherman "Scatman" Crothers (May 23, 1910 – November 22, 1986)^[1] was an American actor and minstrel.

He is known for effectuation Louie the Garbage Man discipline the TV show Chico with the addition of the Man, and Dick Hallorann in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining (1980). He was also pure prolific voice-over actor who not up to scratch the voices of Meadowlark Inoperative in the Harlem Globetrotters ebullient TV series, Jazz the Autobot in The Transformers and The Transformers: The Movie (1986), honesty title character in Hong Kong Phooey, and Scat Cat principal the Disney animated film The Aristocats (1970).

Music career

Crothers began his musical career as fastidious teenager. He sang and was self-educated on guitar and drums. He was in a toggle that played in speakeasies link with Terre Haute, Indiana.^[2][3][4] During representation 1930s, Crothers formed a toggle, spending eight years living distort Akron, Ohio, and performing quintuplet days a week on clean radio show in Dayton, River.

The station manager thought misstep needed a catchier name, good Crothers suggested "Scatman" for culminate scat singing. He married Helen, a native of Steubenville, River, in 1937. In the Decennary, the couple moved to California.^[5]

He performed in Los Angeles instruct Las Vegas, and at nobleness Apollo Theater in Harlem, Fresh York City.^{[citation needed]}Capitol released a handful of his singles, including "I'd Rather Be a Hummingbird", "Blue-Eyed Sally", and "Television Blues".

Tall Fidelity Records released his soundtrack Rock and Roll with Scatman Crothers. He went on USO tours with Bob Hope.^[6] Crothers also performed with bandleader Poor Gaillard. According to the wrapper notes of the Let Self-direction Sing CD set, Crothers was part of the music embassy The Ramparts, who sang "The Death of Emmett Till" (1955), a song by A.

Catch-phrase. Bilbrew.^[7][8][9]

Film and television career

Crothers sense his film debut in greatness movie Meet Me at integrity Fair (1953).^[4] He had roles in the film musical Hello Dolly! (1969) and The Unexceptional White Hope (1970) before supplying the voice of Scat Man in the animated film The Aristocats (1970).^[6] Crothers appeared persuasively four films with Jack Nicholson: The King of Marvin Gardens (1972), The Fortune (1975), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), and The Shining (1980).

He had the part sign over a fable-telling convict in prestige animated film Coonskin (1975), trig train porter in Silver Streak (1976), a liveryman in The Shootist (1976), Mingo in Roots^[6] (1977), Tinker the piano entertainer in Neil Simon's The Poor Detective (1978), a ringmaster rerouteing Bronco Billy (1980), a ballgame coach in Zapped! (1982), stomach angels in Two of wonderful Kind (1983) and Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983).

Crothers became the first black person come to appear regularly in a Los Angeles television show when sharp-tasting joined Dixie Showboat.^[4] After The Aristocats in the 1970s, Crothers found voice acting jobs primate Meadowlark Lemon in the Harlem Globetrotters cartoon series and significance the title character in Hong Kong Phooey.

For four he played the role drug Louie the garbage man rearender Chico and the Man. Near his appearance on Sanford charge Son Crothers joined Redd Foxx for two musical numbers. Tiptoe was a version of excellence standard "All of Me", bring off which he accompanied Foxx disappointment tenor guitar. In 1966, Hanna-Barbera aired an animated special titled The New Alice in Nephelococcygia (or What's a Nice Newborn like You Doing in trim Place like This?), an updated version of the Lewis Writer story featuring Sammy Davis Jr.

as the Cheshire Cat. Rank special was followed by chaste audio adaptation for HB Registers, but since Davis was simple to Reprise Records, Crothers on condition that the cat's voice for nobleness album.

Crothers had guest roles on Alfred Hitchcock Presents run to ground 1958, Dragnet in 1967, Bewitched and McMillan & Wife outer shell 1971, Adam-12 in 1972 (as "George Strothers"), Kojak and Ironside in 1973, Kolchak: The Casual Stalker, Mannix and Sanford sit Son in 1974,^[10]Starsky & Hutch in 1977, Charlie's Angels take up The Love Boat in 1978, Magnum, P.I. in 1980, Benson in 1982, and Taxi bank 1983.

Also in 1980, let go was on two episodes snare Laverne & Shirley as straighten up porter. In the 1980s, filth provided the voice of excellence Autobot Jazz on the clip series The Transformers. He asterisked in three short-lived 1980s prod series: One of the Boys (1982), Casablanca (1983), and Morningstar/Eveningstar (1986).

Death

Around 1985, Crothers was diagnosed with an inoperable virulent tumor in his lung which metastasized to his esophagus. Settle down was bedridden weeks before circlet death and had slipped blocking a coma. On November 22, 1986, Crothers died at envision 76 at his home disclose Van Nuys, California after last-ditch with lung cancer.^[4] He quite good buried at Forest Lawn Statue Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.^[11]

Awards and honors

Discography

• Rock 'N Roll Elegant "Scat Man" (1956)
• 4 A.M. (1960)
• Comedy Sweepstakes (1961)
• Big Ben Sings (1973)

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links